Woman tries to sell image of house-fire Virgin Mary

MEXICO – A Maine woman who discovered an image of the Virgin Mary on a blackened wall following a house fire last winter put the image on eBay after declaring that she had no intention of selling it.

Veronica Dennis changed her mind about auctioning the apparition because she was out of work for three months and trying to catch up on her bills.

“I’m working two jobs now trying to get caught up, but I can barely pay the current bills, but not the past bills. Our life has been a complete mess for seven months,” she said.

Dennis’ home caught fire last January.

The image that many believe to be the Virgin Mary was revealed when she removed a framed painting from the kitchen wall, which was blackened by smoke and fire.

Back then, Dennis told news organizations that she intended to keep the apparition. “I don’t want people to think I’m going to try to make a fortune off it. It’s not my intention to put it on eBay,” she told the Sun Journal newspaper.

The section of wall was sawed out of the house on Jan. 20 to protect against vandals. That vibrated some of the smoke dust off the image, she said.

Nonetheless, Dennis listed the starting bid at $2,500 in a posting that described the apparition making “national and international news.”

But there were no takers before the deadline expired Sunday. Dennis said she might post it again with more emphasis on the unusual image’s international fame.

Despite her money problems, Dennis is not homeless. She got an insurance settlement after the fire and used that to have her house rebuilt. She and her family moved into a temporary trailer behind the home.

Dennis said she expects to move back into her home possibly by the end of the week.

“No matter what I get, I do plan on donating some money from it to the Red Cross and the Mexico Fire Department Relief Fund. They were there when I needed them, and I want to give back,” Dennis said.